A great opportunity for an early career scientist interested in fisheries and community-based marine conservation to develop new skills in an innovative project

Employer: Sulubaaï Environmental Foundation

Partners: University of Technology Sydney & Western Philippines University

Location: Office based in Western Philippines University Puerto Princesa Campus Palawan

& Fieldwork based Sulubaai Marine Research Center Barangay Sandoval, Taytay, Palawan

Starting date & duration: July 14, 2025 for 3 years

Trial period: 3 months

Working time: about 40 hours/week

Profile: Master’s Degree in Social Science or Fisheries/Environmental Science

SUMMARY

Sulubaaï Environmental Foundation is a non-government organization founded in 2011 and based in Palawan (Philippines). It is dedicated to conserving and restoring marine ecosystems grounded in scientific research and community collaboration. The conservation efforts of the foundation has now culminated in a project called Sea Academy Plus (2025-2028), which aims to expand the existing Marine Protected Areas (MPA) network, strengthen local fisheries governance, support alternative livelihoods for fishers, restore mangrove forests, and enhance food security through better monitoring of fish distribution and trade. Sea Academy Plus is not only a conservation and development initiative, it is a research-driven project with the objective to better understand the relationships between small-scale fisheries governance, supply chains, and local food security. To develop this project, we are recruiting a Research Officer who will lead the research initiatives of the project that covers socio-economic, diet, governance, and perception data. The research officer will be in charge of data collection and analysis in collaboration with local universities and communities, along with sharing the findings with both local stakeholders and the academic community. The role also involves producing reports and scientific publications. Candidates should have a background in social sciences and a strong interest in marine conservation.

CONTEXT

Sulubaaï Environmental Foundation (SEF) is a Filipino NGO founded in 2012 by Frédéric and Christiane Tardieu on Pangatalan Island (4 ha), located in the heart of Shark Fin Bay, Palawan. Its mission is to restore both terrestrial and marine ecosystems in close collaboration with local communities. Pangatalan serves as a living laboratory for conservation and sustainable development, and is now part of a sustainable tourism program that supports environmental projects and raises public awareness. In fourteen years of conservation and restoration projects, SEF has little by little built a strong science-based and community-based approach. Its actions have earned international recognition, including the “Hope Spot” designation by Mission Blue, “Blue Sparks” status by the Marine Conservation Institute. Today, SEF has a very dynamic and young team of about 12 people, Filipino and French, including project manager, conservation officer, aquaculture officer, research officer, admin, boat captain and divemasters.

SEF is now coordinating the Sea Academy+ project from 2025 to 2028.

It is an extension of the Sea Academy Project (2021-2024) which included the following outcomes:

● The creation of 4 community-based marine protected areas (MPAs) covering 760ha, with 240 fully-protected core zones.

● The creation of a research center that can accommodate up to 10 researchers in Barangay Sandoval.

● The collection and analysis of diverse data including ecological, fisheries, socio-economic, and food consumption data, and publication of several scientific papers.

The Sea Academy+ (2025-2028) project aims the continuation of the activities undertaken, along with the following novelties:

● The creation of 3-4 new MPAs in different areas within the larger Taytay Bay area.

● Support to the Fisherfolks Associations which includes capacity building and alternative livelihood programs.

● Research focusing on the social and ecological outcomes of management interventions.

KEY RESPONSABILITIES

The role of the Research Officer will be to study the links between management interventions (in particular marine protected areas and the livelihood programs), small-scale fishing activities (including the supply chain), and food consumption and security. The said interventions are usually expected to improve fish catch but the changing fishing patterns can also negatively affect them. It is also expected that there is a direct relationship between an improvement in fish catch and an increase in fish consumption in the villages surrounding an MPA, but it will also be explored if there will be other factors that will affect this.

MISSIONS & TASKS

Under the scientific supervision of Dr. Michael Fabinyi, Dr. Victor Brun, and Dr. Lota Creencia, and the managerial supervision of Dr. Laure Thierry de Ville D’Avray, the selected Research Officer will be in charge of various tasks from data collection and analysis, report writing, as well as writing at least one scientific article.

Data collection

● Household surveys focusing on food (in particular fish) consumption and livelihoods.

● Fisheries data in landing sites and through logbooks.

● Semi-structured interviews.

● Possible support to the collection of ecological data

Data analyses

● Statistical analyses of the data collected by the scientific team and local communities (preferably using R)

● Data visualization.

● Qualitative data analysis of interviews

Report writing and reporting

● Writing of at least one scientific article in a peer-reviewed journal, and participation in the writing of other articles.

● Writing of awareness rising and educational materials.

● Contribution to the report on governance and MPA creation

● Reporting to funders.

Organization of meetings

● Occasional meeting of local communities to organize the collection of fishing logbooks data

● Occasional meetings with local government units (LGUs) and authorities

● Results sharing meetings to disseminate our finding to local communities and LGUs

● Organization of workshops on coastal resource management with the local communities and LGUs

QUALIFICATIONS

● Filipino candidates only

● Master’s Degree in Social Science or Environmental Science (Bachelor Degree can be considered if the candidate has strong experience in research)

● At least 2 years of experience in social science or environmental science research

● Boat and driving license appreciated

SKILLS

Scientific knowledge

● Marine social science

● Small-scale fisheries

● Marine conservation

● Food security

Research skills

● Statistics (proficiency in R)

● Data visualization

● Writing of scientific articles

● Oral presentation

Project management

● Communication

● Multi-stakeholder coordination (e.g., data collection, workshop organization).

● Reporting

Other skills

● Fluent in English and Filipino

● Canva or Adobe Illustrator

● Swimming and snorkeling, scuba diving appreciated

● Photography

● Social media

● Teamwork

AGENDA

● Send your CV + cover letter (in English) to our secretary, Marivic, at [email protected] before May 31.

● Address the email with the subject: Research Officer Application and name your files LastnameFirstname_CV and LastnameFirstname_CL

● Interviews of selected candidates will take place from June 3 to June 14.

The successful candidate will be informed by June 20 and start working by July 14

Please refer to job description.